


The Prince and the Pauper

by AdorabloodthirstyKitty



Series: Thief of Hearts [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 08:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7260319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdorabloodthirstyKitty/pseuds/AdorabloodthirstyKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack tells Mark about how he started his Robin Hood antics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Prince and the Pauper

Sean McLoughlin had always been a rambunctious child. He would often play knight with the guards, and growing up he loved to fly through the halls, chasing down imaginary assassins and saving pretend princes and princesses. One of the only classes he paid attention to growing up was fencing, and he quickly excelled at it. He might have even been skilled enough to become a knight, if he wished, but being the youngest son of a king, he was kept on a pretty tight leash for the better part of his childhood. He studied, practiced sword fighting, and was shut off from the rest of the world, only allowed outside the castle walls for important trips to other castles, where his mother and father would parade their well behaved children to rulers of other kingdoms. But Sean was never content staying inside. He didn't want to spend his days practicing sword fighting and wandering around huge corridors with no one to talk to. He wanted freedom, to get out and enjoy the world outside the castle walls.

The night of his sixteenth birthday was the night things really changed for Sean.

It was a rainy day, a few relatives and members of visiting royalty coming to the small party his parents had set up for him. He was bored out of his mind, having to listen to snooty princes and princesses gossip about other Houses, kings and queens hiding contempt for other royalty behind false kindness and polite conversation. He excused himself from the hall of people looking down on each other and headed up toward his chambers, wanting to be as far from everyone in the castle as he could possibly get.

He was storming down the hall in a huff when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, looking out the window into the dark and rainy evening. He leaned close to the glass, pressing his nose to the cold surface as he searched for whatever had caught his eye. He was about to turn away and keep going to his room when he saw it: a small lantern held by a figure in black, hood up and head bowed. He didn't see the figure's face, the mysterious traveller wandering outside the castle gates near some shops down the road. He seemed to be arguing with the baker, a selfish man who often forced people to pay way too much for bread. The baker, a large man with a moustache and a scowl, was yelling at the man, slamming the door in his face. The figure set his lantern down and stood, looking around idly before seeming to find something of interest near the side of the building. He stopped at the corner of the building, looking in the window before looking straight ahead at the gutter.

And he scaled it. Even with rain pouring down, he quickly climbed up to the roof, crawling across and sitting against the chimney. Sean frowned, wondering what the hell he would be doing on the roof. He pulled himself away from the window when he heard a guard heading toward his spot, hurrying to his room and locking the door behind him. He rushed to his window, quickly finding the bakery again.

The lights were now out, the shop obviously closed. Candles flickered in the top floor, where the baker was most likely getting ready for bed. The figure was still sitting against the chimney, looking around idly. He finally got a better look, the face dark and indistinguishable under the hood. The figure ducked their head, rummaging under their cape before pulling out what appeared to be a small round disk. They pulled it over their face, reaching back  behind their head before lifting their face, a round, white mask covering their entire face. Sean watched as soon all the lights were put out in the upper floor of the shop, one by one, until it was pitch black. The figure soon stood, carefully making their way to the edge of the roof. They grabbed the ledge and hung there by their hands, scooting along until they found a window the baker often left open. The figure nudged it open more with their foot before swinging forward and letting go, falling and grabbing the ledge of the window before quickly pulling himself up and into the top floor of the bakery. Sean swallowed hard, fearing for the baker's safety. What if the person meant to harm the man? He hurried to grab his cloak before sneaking past the guards and toward the kitchen, putting a finger over his lips when he passed their cook. She smiled conspiratorially, going back to cooking as Sean went out the door into the courtyard, soon hurrying out the gates and toward the bakery.

He reached the front door to the shop quickly, saber hanging from his hip and clothing drenched with rain. The front door opened, the masked figure stepping out and shutting the door behind him, a large loaf of bread under his arm. Sean quickly drew his saber, the sound making the thief's head whip around, the white mask staring out at him blankly.

"Tell me why I shouldn't walk you to the cells right now," Sean growled, eyes trained on the thief.

"This is stale bread meant for garbage. I asked to have it for my family and the baker refused. No one else will eat it, he has no use of it. Just let me take this to my family."

"Have you harmed the baker?"

"No. I mean no harm, I just want to feed my family," the thief said earnestly, the hand not clutching the bread raised in peace. Sean paused, looking over the worn cloak and pants of the other, eyes darting up to the bakery before quickly settling back on the thief. He sighed, sheathed his sword, and stepped aside, the figure standing stock still in surprise before bowing his head in thanks and quickly hurrying away, his dark cloak billowing out behind him before he turned a corner into an alley, disappearing from sight.

-

Ever since that fateful night, Sean hadn't been able to get the thief out of his mind. He had no idea who this man was, and that's what drew him to the cloaked figure. He thought about the freedom of anonymity, of hiding in plain sight. And as months passed, he planned. He worked.

Summer came and with it long, warm days in stone rooms with nothing to do. He cut and sewed and worked, until finally he had a mask and outfit that would allow him his freedom. He pulled on the black trousers and blouse, his oldest black boots and a large brimmed hat. He hid the mask under his hat for now, pulling the brim of his hat low over his face before grabbing his sword and stepping out to the window ledge. He crouched, holding his hat as he scanned the area below for a way down. He soon spotted a large wagon of hay barrels for the horses, sitting unattended a few stories down and a few feet over from his window. He carefully crawled along a small decorative ledge just under the windows, scooting his way over until he finally stood over the wagon. Before he could let his building fear stop him he stepped forward, holding his hat as he fell like a stone, soon landing on his back amongst the hay with a soft thud.

He rolled out of the wagon, brushing himself off as he ducked down low and hurried toward the stables to retrieve his horse. He stopped outside the doors, left gaping open with only the sound of the animals bouncing off the wooden walls. He ducked in, letting his eyes adjust as he searched the area for any of the stable boys, finding the place completely deserted. He hurried to his horse Sam, a large black stallion with a penchant for nipping at anyone who came within reach, including Sean. Sean quickly let Sam out and hopped onto his steed before hurrying out the open gates, flying over cobbled streets toward the fields nearby. He p kept his head bowed, knowing that if anyone caught sight of the youngest prince out for a joyride the whole kingdom would learn of it by day's end. He tied the mask over his eyes as they ran through the fields, gripping Sam's reigns as they flew toward the neighboring kingdoms miles away.

-

Sean and Sam stopped in a neighboring kingdom a couple hours later, Jack keeping his head bowed so his hat would continue to hide his masked face. He was just stopping at a nearby lake to let Sam have a drink when he heard a commotion, yelling and screaming coming from somewhere nearby. Sean’s head shot up, quickly spotting smoke billowing from a house at the edge of town, running toward the blazing cottage. People were already crowded around, looking up at the flames pouting out of the windows. Jack stopped at the edge of the crowd, turning to a panicked woman with soot on her face.

"What happened? Is everyone out of the house?" he asked, the woman shaking her head frantically as tears left ttrack marks through the soot on her face.

"My husband went in to get our son and they haven't come out!" she sobbed, shoulders shaking with the force of her tears. Sean ran for the open door, ignoring the yelling of the townspeople as he ducked low, in search of the father and son. He searched the living and dining rooms, ducking his head in to search the kitchen before a small cry rang out from upstairs, the prince hurrying up to the source of the sound. He quickly found the father and son, coughing in the thick smoke as he grabbed the man by the arm and led them out of the smoke and into fresh air, the wife running up to hug them both firmly.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much, you saved their lives," the wife cried, smiling widely as she hugged her family. Sean smiled back, wiping soot off his cheeks.

"Happy to help, ma'am," he said, ducking his head in a bow as men from the village quickly put out the blaze. Sean took the opportunity to slip out of the crowd and back toward the field where Sam stood, still drinking from the lake. He was just about to climb onto his steed and ride off into the sunset when the sound of hooves caught his attention. He turned around and came face to face with the stranger from all those months ago, white mask firmly in place and soot on his hands and mask. His horse stopped just a couple feet shy of Jack and Sam, the man seeming to regard Jack from behind the mask.

"I saw what you did for that woman. Not many would have run into a burning building to save two strangers."

Sean shrugged lightly, praying the man didn't recognize him behind his own black mask. "I must not be like most people, then," he replied, swinging up onto Sam's saddle with ease. He maneuvered Sam so that they faced the other man and his horse, silently sizing each other up before the stranger spoke again.

"I'm Cry. I know this may seem like an odd question, but would you consider yourself to be a good man?"

"I'd like to think so," Sean answered honestly, Sam slowly stepping closer to the other horse as the men spoke.

Cry nodded slowly, his own horse shifting from foot to foot. "I've been protecting and serving the people of these lands for years now, and I can't continue to do this on my own. Would you consider joining me in helping those in need? No rewards, no favoritism between Houses," the masked men asked, voice calm and neutral. Sean's eyes widened behind his mask, surprised and elated by the offer.

"I'd love to," Sean answered breathlessly, a smile etched into his cheeks. The other nodded, voice lighter when he spoke again, as if smiling behind his mask.

"Good. And what shall I call you, partner?" he asked, his horse stepping forward until he came to a stop beside Sean and Sam. The prince paused, not wanting to give his name and possibly expose himself as the prince of the McLoughlin House, quickly thinking of a nickname his mother would call him as a child.

"Jack. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Cry," he grinned, shaking hands with the man that would soon become one of his closest friends.

-

"And that's how we met. Soon we were giving food and money to the poor and saving children on a daily basis, going from kingdom to kingdom to help those in need," Sean explained, sitting back in his chair across from Mark, the stars shining brightly from their seats on the terrace. Mark nodded, letting the information sink in slowly as the distant sound of music seeped out from the ballroom, the only sound besides the occasional chirp of crickets.

"I couldn't give out our own money half as much as I wanted to, Cry would have been suspicious and my father would have noticed the missing gold. Cry and I tend to help people physically rather then economically, helping repair homes and giving food to the people that need it rather then just handing them a handful of coins. I took the coins from Felix more as a challenge then anything, and I was planning on using it to buy supplies to help a family rebuild their home a ways away. I never meant King Kjellberg any harm, and if he wants compensation I'd be more then happy to return what I stole," Sean finished, looking up earnestly at Mark from across the small table. Knight Fischbach sat silently across from the thief, weighing his options. He could easily take the prince in on theft, he had admitted to the crime. But Felix's words still hung heavy in his mind, along with the stories of all the help the two masked men had done throughout the land. If Sean was stuck in a cell, who would help the families in need?

Eventually Mark sighed heavily, slumping back into his chair as he looked the thief in the eye.

"If I let you go, you must promise not to cause any more trouble in King Kjellberg's kingdom anytime soon. Is that understood?"

The prince was beaming across the table, his smile brighter than any star in the sky. "Thank you so much Sir Fischbach, you have no idea how grateful I am," the thief grinned, Mark's heart flipping happily at the look of pure joy and relief on Sean's face. He smiled back, shoulders relaxing somewhat.

"Don't always expect me to go so easy on you, McLoughlin," he smiled, both men standing as they headed back toward the ballroom.

"Oh? And what do you plan on doing if you catch me again? I happen to know a very effective way of catching you off guard," he smirked, voice low as he walked close beside the knight. Mark tried to suppress the shiver running down his spine, huffing and frowning at the shit-eating grin spread wide across Prince McLoughlin’s face.

"I'm sure I can find some way of keeping you occupied long enough to cuff you," the knight replied casually, fingers running along the prince's leg lightly. Sean's face immediately tinted pink, caught completely off guard by the bold move as Sir Fischbach laughed at his expense, the prince soon joining in on his laughter as they made their way across the ballroom, so much happier then when they’d first stepped in.

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys!! I'm so sorry this was so short, I had such a hard time writing the middle of this thing. I hope you guys like it and expect more out of this series, though it'll probably just be oneshots from here on out!! thank you so much for your patience and I hope you liked it!!


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